Harsh Reality
by astonishes
Summary: Oh, but don't you see? We weren't ruining anyones life. People were happy with their friends before you came along. That's why they're friends. We don't need some kid telling us we should be ourselves when she's trying to be someone else as well.


Well, here I am after the longest absence ever! I'm back with another oneshot. But this one has no pairings and it doesn't bash Gabriella, but Sharpay isn't exactly treating her like the Queen of Scottland, either.

**Summary: **"Oh, but don't you see? We weren't ruining _any_ones life. People were happy with their friends before you came along. That's why they're friends. We don't need some kid telling us we should be ourselves when she's trying to be someone else as well."

**Disclaimer:** Puh-lease. _sigh._ I don't own HSM, Disney does. I do however, own the plot. :)

* * *

Her cold brown eyes scanned the cafeteria. They rested a moment on a group of people gathered around a table. She rolled her eyes, gripped her tray harder, and quickly walked up the stairs to her normal table. She threw her tray down on the table and roughly placed her bag on the floor next to her chair. The sound of laughter echoed up to her ears as she sat down. She quickly got back up, making her way to the railing. She scanned the cafeteria once more, her eyes landing on the group of smiling students.

"Gross," she muttered bitterly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure of her gripping the rail. She angrily pulled away, turning on her heel and coming face to face with the last person she wanted to see. She rolled her eyes and pushed past them, sitting down across from her brother and taking a calm bite of the barely edible food.

"Would you mind if I sat with you today? Kelsi and I have to go over some stuff for the musical," the sickly sweet voice asked.

The bite she was about to take stopped just short of her mouth. She almost laughed in her face. "As if," she answered. But Gabriella sat down anyway, quickly joining a conversation with Ryan. Her mouth hung open and her eyes flashed with barely controlled rage. "I said _no._"

"Well, if you really don't want me to sit with you, _you_ can move. There's a table over there where you can be all by yourself," Gabriella replied with a sarcastic smile. She turned back around and resumed talking with Ryan.

She was outraged. No one _ever_ ignored what she said, expecially in her territory. She stood up and in one graceful move, swiped Gabriella's tray off the table and sent it crashing to the floor. She shrugged and muttered an "Oops."

"What was that for?" Gabriella asked, all sweetness gone from her voice and replaced with surprise and anger.

"Nothing, I was just...getting up to move to a different table," the girl said coldly, grabbing her plate and turning on her heel.

"What is this _really_ about? Are you just mad that I beat you in the musical?" Gabriella asked. She stopped cold and turned around, a blank expression on her face. She barely registered the fact that the laughing from below had ceased and all attention was focused on her and Gabriella.

"Oh, _Gabi,_" she said, perfectly mimicking the sickly sweet voice of her foe. "This isn't about the musical. It never was."

"Then what? The fact that Troy likes me and not you?" Gabriella asked, folding her arms across her chest in a defensive stance. She noticed the tremble in her voice and the fear flash in her eyes.

"Oh, it has nothing to do with that, either," she smirked.

"Than what? Angry that your not in the spotlight anymore?" Gabriella scoffed. "Lame."

"Oh, I'll tell you what it's about," she muttered, scooting closer to the girl. "It's about the fact that you don't know your place here."

Gabriella rolled her eyes as if what she was saying was unimportant. "Whatever. Get over this little...problem you have and leave me out of it."

"Oh, but you _are_ the problem," She spoke, turning and walking calmly to the railing. She scanned the area casually. "Did you ever go to a public high school?"

"Of course," Gabriella answered.

"Well, then. You _must_ know the rules," she said, turning around and leaning against the railing.

"Rules? We left any rules about cliques behind when Troy and I won the musical," Gabriella scoffed.

"Oh, really?" she said. "Let's see. Do you see the chess club sitting with the East High Basketball team? Do you see a skater boy hanging out with the math nerds? Are the cheerleaders suddenly making an effort to be friends with the Drama club?"

"No," she answered weakly.

"That's right. The world isn't black and white, Gabriella," she muttered darkly.

"Things don't just happen overnight, Sharpay," Gabriella fought back.

"Oh, dear Gabriella, I thought you were smart," Sharpay told her calmly. Then her expression turned dark.

"You see, _Gabi_, **nothing** has changed. Everything is exactly the same," Sharpay said, turning back around. Her cold eyes settled on the face of Troy Bolton, standing at the top of the stairs, deciding whether or not to make her way over to Gabriella and Sharpay or not.

"What are you talking about, Sharpay?" Gabriella asked, exasperated.

"Don't you get it?!" She yelled. "You can't come in here and just...change the rules! You don't have that authority, Gabriella."

"Sharpay..." Troy said.

"Oh, please Troy. You're the worst," Sharpay said. Troy immediately put his hands down and walked over to them.

"How? Troy is the friendliest person here," Gabriella asked, sparing a smile for her crush.

"Oh, how sweet. You've fallen for the basketball player. Player being the key word," Sharpay spat. At this point, Chad jumped in.

"Sharpay, dude, calm down. Anything you have to say, say it somewhere private," he consoled. At this announcement, murmurs went up through out the crowd gathered.

"Don't you think that the student body has a right to know what their leader is really like, Chad?" Sharpay asked innocently.

"Sharpay, I agree with you, you know I do, but you can't just go doing this in front of everybody," Ryan told her.

"Fine. Come with me. All of you," Sharpay announced to Chad, Ryan, Troy, and Gabriella. "Everyone else, this conversation never took place. If I hear anything about it, I will find out who did it."

"Yes ma'am," some of the students answered. Sharpay smiled fakely.

"Thank you," she said, grabbing her bag and walking out of the cafeteria doors, head held high and her brother beside her.

"What are you doing Sharpay?" Gabriella asked, defeated.

"You'll see," she announced, pushing open the doors of the gym. She locked them behind her and made her way over to the bleachers, setting her bag down and walking to center court. "Everybody, _out_!"

A few students scrambled from behind the bleachers and ran out the doors. Sharpay waited until she couldn't hear anything inside but them. "Good," she murmured.

"Will you please explain to me what is going on here?" Gabriella asked, hand on her hip. Ryan grabbed her arm and pulled her to the court roughly.

"You see, Gabriella," Sharpay began after Ryan released her. "You have ruined our entire status quo. You came into this school and thought you could run it. Well, let me tell you, you were _wrong_. First off, you made the mistake of auditioning for the play. Expecially with Troy."

"I can do whatever I want, with whoever I want. Besides, it's not like you can really sing that well," Gabriella smirked, arms folded over her chest.

"_This could be the start of something new; it feels so right to be here with you, o-oh. And now, looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart the start of something new,_" Sharpay sang, hitting the notes correctly. "Secondly, you made the mistake of believing a word Troy said. You see, after I found out about your little...audition, I had a talk with Troy."

"What?!" Gabriella exclaimed, looking over at Troy. His face was blank.

"We rule the school together, we make the rules together. But, he told me _everything_," Sharpay smirked.

Gabriella looked over at Troy, a hurt expression on her face. But he just looked impatient and ready to leave.

"His little talk with Chad was completely scripted. I'm not the only good actor around here. Taylor was the one with the idea, too," Sharpay smiled.

"How could you?" Gabriella spat.

"Easily. _You_ don't follow the rules we make, you pay. You didn't really think that a little math nerd like you could ever hook up with the school's hottest jock, did you?" Gabriella looked down. "Oh, you did! Well, sorry dear. But life isn't like a Disney movie."

"Really? Because you seem like the evil witch to me!" Gabriella screeched.

"Oh, boo-hoo," Sharpay said dryly. "Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and get over it."

"How could you?" She repeated.

"I thought we already went over this, Gabriella. I thought you were smart," Sharpay muttered.

"You know what? I'm through with this," Gabriella announced. "You guys, go, ruin lives, whatever you want to do. I'm out."

"Oh, but don't you see? We weren't ruining _any_ones life. People were happy with their friends before you came along. That's why they're friends. We don't need some kid telling us we should be ourselves when she's trying to be someone else as well."

Gabriella stiffened. After a moment, she turned and ran, down the steps, down the street, down the hallway. She tumbled onto her bed and cried into her pillow. She thought about what Sharpay had told her. Was she really right?

* * *

I know, I know! Totally horrible. I didn't know how to end it and I definitely wrote it in under an hour. But, tell me what you think. I might rewrite it when I'm fully rested. :P 


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